Vaisnava Calendar Reminder Services

Note: Dates and times for vaisnava festivals offered in these services are 100% in accordance with the latest ISKCON GBC Vaisnava Calendar Committee's approved calculations made by their own software: Gcal 11.

Sri Jayadeva Gosvami

Sri Jayadeva Gosvami was the chief pandita in the court of the king Sri Laksman Sena. His father’s name was Bhojadeva and his mothers name was Bama devi. He made his appearance at Kendu- bilvagram within the district of Birhum, during the 11th century.NOTE: It has been pointed out that the above info is not accurate – please visit the following website for details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayadeva

Sri Jayadeva’s wife’s name was Sri Padmavati. During the time that he was engaged as the chief pandita of Raja Laksman Sena, he resided at Navadwipa on the banks of Ganga. Also present with were three other panditas whose names he has mentioned in Sri Gita-Govinda: Sri Umapatidhar, Acarya Sri Govardhan and Kavi Ksamapati, who were his close friends.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to especially relish hearing the Gita Govinda as well as the works of Candidas, Vidyapati, Ramananda Ray and the Krsna-karnamrta by Bilvamangala Thakur. Sri Gita Govinda is full of intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda and is therefore meant for those who have accumulated sufficient spiritual piety.

“For those who relish the remembrance of the pastimes of Sri Hari and who are always anxious to hear those transcendental divine narrations, these verses, sweet as honey, have been composed by Jayadeva with the blessings of Mother Sarasvati.”

In the Gita Govinda, while writing about the pastimes of Radharani as She repented after Krsna had gone away, he became lost in thought. Not being able to decide whether or not he should write a particular verse, he decided to first take his bath, and return to his writing later. While he taking his bath, Krsna Himself personally appeared in the form of Jayadeva, took his meal and then wrote down that very verse with His own hand. Then, while Padmavati was accepting her meal Jayadeva returned from taking his bath in the Ganga. Padmavati was completely startled to see her husband, and Jayadeva as well was very suprised to see that his wife was accepting her meal before him (which is never done by Hindu wives). Finally she explained that he had already returned from taking his bath once, taken his meal, and then gone to his room. Jayadeva went to where he had been writing and saw the verse that he had been considering whether to write or not, now composed in golden letters.

With tears in his eyes and voice choked up he called out to his wife, “Padmavati! You are so fortunate! You had darshana of the Supreme Lord!”

Bhaktivinoda Thakura has commented that even though Sri Gauranga Deva hadn’t revealed his internal pastimes at that time, within the heart of Sri Jayadeva, Sri Bilvamangala, Sri Candi das and Sri Vidyapati, the transcendental mood of Mahaprabhu was awakened even before He Himself actually made His appearance.

Jayadeva Gosvami also composed a book named Candraloka. His disappearance is on Pausa sankranti. He also composed the celebrated Dasavatara Stotram.

His worshipable Deities, Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, are being worshipped in the former temple of Radha-Govinda just outside the present city of Jaipur.

Note:: Special thanks to Jaya Tirtha Caran prabhu from NZ for allowing us to use some of the content from his site to compile these pages.